Wednesday’s longer-than-it-should-have-been press conference involving Bills owner Terry Pegula and G.M. Brandon Beane had plenty of interesting quotes. We’ve been working through the list of them, one at a time.
One question related to how many one-at-a-time playoff wins were needed by former coach Sean McDermott to return in 2026. Would McDermott have been fired if the Bills lost in the AFC Championship or the Super Bowl?
“I don’t want to speculate on that,” Pegula told reporters. “It is what it is. I don’t want to speculate.”
Regardless of whether Pegula chose to answer, it’s a compelling question. Although Pegula stressed that he had no prior plan to fire McDermott and that the decision happened based solely on what Pegula witnessed in the locker room after Saturday’s loss to the Broncos, it’s fair to wonder whether the postseason began with a floor for McDermott.
If so, what was the floor? Was it Super Bowl appearance or bust? Was it Lombardi Trophy or pink slip?
The broader question is whether anyone sensed that McDermott had a mandate. For example, was the emotion after the game from quarterback Josh Allen fueled by his suspicion that the loss to the Broncos may cause McDermott to lose his job? Does Allen blame himself for getting McDermott fired?
Consider what Pegula said about his conversation with Allen, after the firing happened: “The starting quarterback will be part of the team to help select a new coach. He’s going to be working with us. And anything else — his feelings — I want to keep that private. I don’t want this in Josh’s head. This was my decision. And I know I didn’t answer your question, but I did, I hope, in a roundabout way. His personal opinion, I keep personal.”
Although it’s still unclear whether Allen agreed or disagreed with the move, or whether Allen did or didn’t want a coaching change, the most sensible interpretation seems to be that: (1) Allen feels responsible for McDermott getting fired; (2) Pegula doesn’t want that guilt “in Josh’s head"; (3) Allen knows it’s counterproductive to express any agreement or disagreement with the move; and (4) Pegula doesn’t want Allen to think the next coach’s job will hinge on Allen’s postseason performances.
It’s also sensible to conclude that, despite the claim of a sudden locker-room epiphany that a new coach was needed, Pegula had a minimum goal in mind that would secure another season for McDermott. Whether it was getting to the Super Bowl or winning it doesn’t matter; what mattered was a loss in the divisional round didn’t meet Pegula’s threshold.
